The general VAT rate rose from 24% to 25.5%. The change entered into force on 1 September 2024.
On this page, we have compiled information and considerations regarding the VAT change from Procountor's point of view.
Briefly
- As of 1 September, the new VAT percentage has been enabled by default in all Procountor environments for both sales invoices and purchases in Used VAT percentages.
- New VAT statuses related to the new VAT percentage are available.
- The VAT 25.5% configuration tool (Management > Accounting Info > VAT Defaults) can be used to update other Procountor items to the new 25,5% VAT rate.
- The use of the configuration tool is environment-specific.
- Procountor’s interfaces were updated to enable Procountor to receive materials containing the new VAT percentage.
Frequently asked questions
How is the VAT rate change implemented in Procountor?
The new VAT percentage was added to Procountor in the August version update on August 17th. Since then, the VAT percentage can be implemented using the VAT change tool or manually. Once the VAT percentage was added, it has been an option in all places where a VAT percentage can be chosen, such as in VAT defaults, on invoice lines, or in the product register.
We added a new VAT configuration tool which allows you to edit multiple VAT-related information and settings at once.
New VAT statuses were added to Procountor to replace those VAT statuses that were related to the previous VAT percentage 24% (for example "EU 24%" --> "EU 25.5%").
Procountor’s interfaces were updated on 17 August to enable Procountor to receive materials containing the new VAT percentage via different connections (API, SFTP, CSV).
When can the new VAT percentage be used? Can it be used before September?
The new VAT percentage has been available since the version update on 17 August.
When the VAT percentage is enabled (in Used VAT Percentages), it can be selected from the drop-down menus, for example, when editing the VAT percentage on the invoice row.
Will there be any automatic changes to the VAT defaults on 17 August? What about 1 September?
As of 17 August, the new 25.5% VAT is available in Procountor and can be enabled in VAT defaults, but this percentage was not automatically activated in August.
As of 1 September, the new VAT percentage was enabled by default in all Procountor environments for both sales and purchases. This means that VAT rate 25.5% is automatically included as an option in the VAT percentage menus across the user interface. If necessary, you can disable the option in the VAT defaults.
New VAT statuses related to the new VAT percentage is available as of 17 August. VAT statuses are automatically available as of 17 August, meaning that they are enabled in the VAT defaults and can be selected as the VAT status throughout the user interface. If necessary, you can disable the option in the VAT defaults so that the VAT statuses are not used elsewhere in the software.
Does the change of VAT percentage require action from Procountor users?
We aim to make the VAT changes in Procountor as effortless as possible for the users. However, the change will require some manual work, and users will need to go through their information related to VAT handling. Particular attention will be required during the transition period to ensure that the appropriate VAT percentage is applied at the right time.
The user’s tasks in connection with the VAT change:
- Update the current VAT information (used VAT percentages, percentages saved in product registers and so on) manually or by using the Vat configuration tool that will be published on 17.8
- As of 1 September, the new VAT percentage will be enabled by default to Used VAT percentages.
- The user will be responsible for checking (especially during the transition period in August–September) that the correct VAT percentage is used in invoicing and accounting. For more information on the allocation of VAT, please see the guidelines of the Tax Administration.
- The upcoming automated VAT percentage changes will not retroactively change the VAT percentages on existing invoices. Thus the user may need to manually correct the VAT percentages of invoices/receipts that should include the new VAT percent, but have been created before the new VAT percent has been taken into use in Procountor.
How does the VAT 25.5% configuration tool work?
VAT 25.5% configuration tool updates the general VAT percentage from 24% to 25,5% to the selected locations' items of Procountor system.
Can I use the VAT 25.5% configuration tool to update the new VAT rate for all environments at once?
Unfortunately, this is not possible.
The use of the configuration tool is environment-specific, meaning that VAT can only be edited in one Procountor environment at once.
Why are all VAT changes not automatically implemented in Procountor?
We aim to make the VAT change as effortless as possible for our customers. For this purpose, we are introducing, among other things, VAT 25.5% configuration tool and some automated changes (in VAT defaults) to make a large part of the transition run smoothly.
However, the users will need to personally check some of their VAT settings. Unfortunately, we cannot make all the changes automatically on behalf of our customers. However, by providing solutions such as the configuration tool, we give the customer the authority to decide when the new VAT percentages are updated in the various types of information and settings. This way, we also ensure that the change takes place in a controlled manner from the customer’s point of view, and that no changes to VAT settings or existing data occur without the customer being informed.
Which information cannot be edited with the VAT configuration tool, i.e., which information must be edited manually if necessary?
With the VAT configuration tool, you can update most of Procountor’s VAT information and settings; you can find a detailed list in the VAT configuration tool’s instructions.
However, some items containing VAT information are excluded from the list. These items must be updated manually if necessary. Please note that the information written here does not automatically apply to all Procountor environments, as, for example, bank statement default postings only exist if they have been added by a user in that environment.
The following items cannot be updated with the VAT change tool and do not update automatically:
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VAT percentages, amounts, or product prices of already created receipts
- If your company has previously created invoices that need to be updated with the new VAT rate of 25.5%, these invoices must be handled manually.
- Please note that the VAT information of already sent invoices cannot be edited. Credit invoices can be created for these if necessary. However, the information of invoices waiting to be sent (i.e., those on the "Invoices to be sent" list) can still be changed.
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VAT status of default postings for bank statements (Management > Accounting information > Posting defaults > Default postings for bank statements)
- Note: We informed those Procountor environments that have used such default postings for bank statements whose VAT status is being discontinued via announcements on the Procountor homepage.
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VAT status of default postings for reference payments (Management > Accounting information > Posting defaults > Default postings for reference payments)
- Note: We informed those Procountor environments that have used such default postings for reference payments whose VAT status is being discontinued via announcements on the Procountor homepage.
What user rights are required for editing VAT information and settings?
The user must have at least All rights to the Basic Accounting Info. This allows access to the VAT Defaults view, where the VAT configuration too can be found, among other things. This right is sufficient to modify the Uses VAT percentages and the default VAT percentage.
Changing other information with the change tool requires additional user rights. For example, changing the VAT percentages in product registers requires that the user also has rights to those registers. Read more about the configuration tool and the user rights it requires here.
How long will the old VAT rate (24%) be available?
For the time being, no deadline has been set for the old VAT rate (24%). It will remain available in Procountor after September. The percentage will not be automatically removed from the VAT percentages in use. The drop-down menus for VAT percentages will continue to offer it as an option after September. If you want to hide the VAT rate 24% in the VAT percentage menus on invoices, for example, you can disable it in the VAT defaults.
When will the new VAT rate be implemented in Procountor’s mobile application?
The VAT information in the Procountor mobile application will change according to the same schedule as the Procountor's browser version. Therefore, the application will be ready to handle the new VAT percentage in its various functions starting from August 17th. However, mobile users should note that VAT settings can only be edited through Procountor’s browser version.
How does the VAT change affect the use of Junior?
(Note! This section only concerns environments using Junior. You can learn about Junior in this article).
The VAT change does not affect Junior’s suggestions when it comes to the following proposals:
- Accounting account
- VAT deduction percentage
- Dimensioning
- VAT statuses in cases where the VAT status does not change with the VAT change. For example, the VAT status Domestic will continue to be included in Junior’s suggestions after the VAT change as usual.
However, changes in Junior’s suggestions are expected in connection with the following current / retiring VAT statuses: EU 24% (product), EU 14% (product), EU 24% (service), Reversed tax liability 24%, Import 24%
Initially, Junior will not suggest new/replacement statuses, i.e., VAT statuses that include the 25.5% percentage. However, the models will learn the new VAT statuses over time, as long as enough examples accumulate. We will send a separate notice about these observations to those Procountor environments where these VAT statuses have been significantly used.
Our development team will closely monitor the performance and quality of Junior’s models after the VAT change.
How will users be informed about changes and required tasks in Procountor?
We will inform users via email, in the manual and directly within the Procountor software. We will continue active communications in August and September.
We recommend that all our users allow internal messages related to Procountor updates in the software. You can enable these messages in your Personal info and settings under Communication Settings > In-app communications.
Messages related to Procountor updates only deal with new features in Procountor and other software changes; in this case, functions related to the VAT change. These messages allow us to share information and provide targeted guidance to our users at the right time and in the right view.
Even if the user has disabled in-app communiations in the program, they will still see the Notifications widget on the front page of Procountor, unless they have hidden it on the front page.
Other questions related to case examples
Will the ledger accounts remain the same or should users set up a new ledger account for the new general VAT rate?
By default, we do not bind VAT percentages to any ledger account in the default chart of accounts. In other words, there is no need for this by default.
However, if a different policy has been used (e.g. specific accounts have been created in the environment for different VAT percentages), the user must make the necessary changes themselves.
Will there be some type of a date and VAT amount check in sales invoices? In other words, will it not be possible to use the old VAT rate on a sales invoice dated for or after September?
There will be no such a check. The old percentage can still be used for invoices, if necessary. However, if you want to remove the option of the old VAT rate, you can hide it in the VAT defaults.
I’m already invoicing the late autumn months. When will I be able to invoice with the new VAT rate?
The new percentage will be available as of 17 August 2024. From that date onwards, you will be able to create new invoices for the future with the new VAT rate.
Changes to the VAT defaults (such as the implementation of the new 25.5 percentage) will not automatically change the VAT percentages on invoices that have already been created. Therefore, if invoices dated for September and later have been created before 17 August, the percentages of these invoices must be edited manually (provided that the invoices are subject to the new tax rate, see the guidelines of the Tax Administration). You can edit the VAT information on invoices if they have not yet been sent.
The goods will be delivered in August but will not be invoiced until September. Which VAT rate should be used on the invoice?
The guidelines of the Tax Administration now include instructions on tax rates at the time of the VAT change. If necessary, the new VAT rate can be used in Procountor as of 17 August.
I received a purchase invoice with the new VAT rate (25.5%), but Procountor determined the invoice’s VAT percentage to be 24%. How do I correct the invoice details?
As long as the used VAT percentages available in the Procountor environment do not yet include the 25.5% VAT rate, Procountor cannot use the VAT percentage on invoices. If the invoice is saved with the wrong VAT percentage, Procountor will give an error message when checking the invoice, stating that there is an unprocessed separating amount on the invoice.
The new VAT percentage can be updated from the August version update starting on August 17th. Check the box for 25.5% in the default VAT settings (both sales invoices and purchases) and return to the received purchase invoice to correct the VAT details of the invoice. If you do not have access rights to edit the default VAT settings, please contact your Procountor main user or your accountant if possible.
In the future, once the new VAT rate of 25.5% is ticked for use in the available VAT percentages, Procountor will automatically determine the correct VAT rate for invoices, even when it is 25.5%. After September 1st, the new VAT rate will automatically be in use in all environments.
My VAT Defaults view does not have the “Used VAT Percentages” section. How do I enable the new VAT rate?
In some Procountor environments, a special setting is enabled, causing the VAT Defaults view to differ slightly from the general description in the manual, and the “Used VAT Percentages” section is not visible. This setting is related to the use of foreign VAT rates and is only enabled if specifically ordered from our service desk.
In these cases, the new VAT rate of 25.5% has been automatically included in the applicable VAT rates starting from August 17th, so there is no need to modify the VAT defaults separately.